Speaking of #Wikileaks…
(Reuters) – “In presenting their case that WikiLeaks’ alleged U.S. Army leaker Bradley Manning should face a court martial, military prosecutors this week revealed new evidence purporting to link Manning to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
But there is heated debate inside the U.S. government on the wisdom and legality of any move by U.S. authorities to bring criminal charges against the Australian-born Assange.
WikiLeaks supporters believe that, by presenting evidence of apparent contacts between Manning and Assange, the Obama administration is laying groundwork for a Justice Department filing of U.S. charges against Assange.
A federal grand jury in Virginia has been investigating Assange for months.
Assange and his supporters claim U.S. authorities are intent on prosecuting him under the Espionage Act and that one of their hidden objectives in bringing harsh charges against Manning – he could be imprisoned for life if convicted – is to convince the former Army intelligence analyst to testify against Assange.
But current and former U.S. officials close to the case, who asked for anonymity, said there have been intense discussions inside the U.S. government about the wisdom of prosecuting Assange and about the difficulties of bringing him to trial and convicting him.
The Obama administration has been more aggressive than its recent predecessors, including President George W. Bush’s administration, in using the law against alleged leakers of government secrets…”~Read More: Reuters
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